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Tree Top apple sauce now available in Sonoco’s new see-through ClearGuard® flexible pouch

HARTSVILLE, S.C., Jan. 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, is helping apple sauce maker Tree Top, of Yakima, Wash., innovate the apple sauce industry by packaging the fruit product in clear packaging – promoting safety, trust and transparency by allowing consumers to view the product before consuming it or serving it to their children.

“Consumer demand for clarity is a growing trend, not just related to ingredients and labeling, but with packaging itself, as more and more shoppers want to be able to see exactly what they are buying,” said Pete Gioldasis, director of marketing at Sonoco. “This desire is even more important with children’s foods, where quality and product integrity are so essential. With our ClearGuard® flexible pouch portfolio, we’re able to deliver both presentation and protection, even for foods that require demanding hot fill or retort processing conditions.”

Tree Top has been successfully using Sonoco’s foil-based packaging for a number of years. For the new clear pouch project, Tree Top needed a clear, high-barrier structure that protects the product through filling, distribution, retail and consumer usage, while seamlessly integrating into Tree Top’s production process. Tree Top evaluated packaging from multiple suppliers, a process that included several rounds of shelf-life and vitamin retention testing, as well as machinability trials. Sonoco’s ClearGuard™ film structure was selected based on the results of these evaluations.

“This new pouch mirrors our corporate belief in transparency, honesty and trust,” said Tom Hurson, Tree Top president and CEO. “Everyone deserves good food, and we developed the new, clear pouches to return power to people by allowing them to see our quality product before consuming it. We want everyone to have a great experience with our fruit products, and it’s nice to bring a little more clarity and goodness to the world of food.”

Because ClearGuard packaging has exceptionally low oxygen and water vapor transmission rates to protect the food inside and preserve its shelf-life, it provides a transparent alternative to aluminum foil or metalized films – an important differentiator at a time when nearly fifty percent of consumers would choose one product over another simply because they can see the product inside its packaging. The ClearGuard liquid pouch has been proven to meet or exceed barrier and shelf-life requirements for a variety of growing product categories, and it can stand up to the demands of the retort process, which involves high pressure and high temperatures.

Tree Top's new, clear pouches come in six flavors: Apple, Cinnamon, Strawberry, Mango, Tropical and Mixed Berry. Consumers can now find the clear apple sauce pouches in either 12- or four-count boxes in retail stores throughout the western United States. The variety is also available in the popular 3.2 oz. pouch at several restaurant chains including Arby's, Shari's, Sonic Drive-In and even in the air when traveling on Alaska Airlines.

About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE:SON) is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5 billion, the Company has 20,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. For more information on the Company, visit www.sonoco.com.

About Tree Top

Tree Top is a grower-owned cooperative owned by nearly 900 apple and pear growers. The Cooperative was founded in 1960 in the heart of Washington’s apple country to create a sustainable market of products using “ugly” fruit not attractive enough to sell in the fresh market. Tree Top led the way in premium, quality juices and apple sauce and with its fruit expertise and trusted sources of fruit now produces the widest array of fruit-based products and solutions for consumers and for most of the world’s leading food and beverage manufacturers. Tree Top operates seven production facilities near the fruit in Washington, Oregon and California to create healthful fruit products made from simple ingredients to the delight of consumers around the world.